Hardware for sliding door

ABSTRACT

Door handles especially adapted for use on sliding &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;pocket&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; type doors permitting single hand opening and closing. Means is also provided adapting the handles for replacement of existing door operating means without carpentry work involving repair or remodeling of the previous carpentry.

United States Patent Stewart 5] July 18, 1972 i 1 HARDWARE FOR SLIDINGDOOR 2,659,939 11/1953 Greig .49/425 [72] Inventor: James suwm west PalmBeach, Fla 2,760,803 8/1956 Solomon .A9/449 [73] Assignee: StewartResearch, lnc., West Palm Beach, Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay

Assistan! Examiner-Doris L. Troutman [22] Filed; Au 24, 1970Attorney-Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow & Garrett [21] Appl. No.: 66,371[57] ABSTRACT Door handles especially adapted for use on sliding"pocket" ..l6/ll0, 49:46 72; yp doom permitting single hand p g andclosing Means 58] Field 160/84 is also provided adapting the handles forreplacement of existo 91;49 4 0 4 3 52 gm ing door operating meanswithout carpentry work involving repair or remodeling of the previouscarpentryv l 1 e 5 Clalns, 5 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS3,006,409 10/1971 Pemberton [60/84 Patented July 18, 1972 3,676,895

2 Sheets-Sheet l 26 JAMES M. STEWART BY Y ' ATTORNEY YS Patented July18, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet :1

INVENTOR FIG. 3

JAMES M. STEWART HARDWARE FOR SLIDING noon This invention relates tohardware for sliding doors of the so-called pocket type, i.e., doorswhich are mounted for sliding movement into a recess between twoopposing walls, and

which may be pulled from the recess and slid into door-closing positionwithin a surrounding door frame. Normally such doors slide completelyinto the recess for full door-open position, and substantiallycompletely therefrom to door frame abutting position when fully closed.Such doors are supported from a suitable track by means of affixedrollers.

It is well known that such door arrangements present some substantialdisadvantages in opening and closing, and this is true even though theyare provided with some means intended to facilitate the opening andclosing operations. Almost universally, it is believed, such doors areprovided with a pocket on opposite sides of the door, each pocket beingfitted with a small metal cup, into which a finger is inserted in orderto move the door away from its fully closed position and start it on itsway to its open position, i.e., fully within the wall recess. In orderthat the door can be retrieved from the wall recess, the door face iscustomarily provided with a metal insert, including a small,finger-grasping means, pivotally mounted in the insert in such mannerthat it normally falls to a position fully flush with the door face whennot being employed to pull the door from the recess. In this down"position, it advantageously does not present any protruding portion onthe door face, such as would snag clothing or possibly do injury. Thismeans is also so mounted that one may depress, i.e., move inwardlyrelative to the door facing, the end of the pivoted means opposite tothe end which provides the fingergrasping portion, as a result of which,the finger-grasping means emerges from with the recess and presentsitself for the insertion of a finger, thus enabling one to pull the doorfrom the wall recess. This pivoted means is nothing more than a simplebar and intermediate fulcrum point, operating as a simple lever.

Although the combination of the metal side pockets and thefinger-grasping element are operable for their intended purpose, theyare by no means entirely satisfactory, as will now be more fully pointedout below. There disadvantages have long been suffered, apparentlywithout receiving attention with a view to providing improved means.

Regardless of whether one is opening or closing sliding doors equippedas above described, two hands are invaribly employed and the hands mustshift thru multiple positions to effect the desired final door position.One can open or close the door with one hand, but not with ease andfacility, and especially not if the door is heavy, or if the door ispoorly mounted (which is often the case), and is at all balky upon beingpushed or pulled. Moreover, at some point or points in either opening orclosing of the door, the hand pressure necessary to be applied in theside finger pockets in order to develop adequate purchase causes thedoor to bind. In closing a sliding door of the type under discussion,one first pivots the finger-grasping means to a point where it can begrasped. This may most easily be done with the hand fartherest away fromthe grasping means, i.e., reaching across the body. However, if one hassomething in that hand, he must either shift it to the other, or proceedawkwardly to use the empty hand. Even though one employs the preferredhand, he cannot move the door very far before that hand moves to anawkward, uncomfortable position. (It is not uncommon that, during thisoperation, a finger is injured.) He must then release the fingergrasping means and shift to the side pocket in order to complete theclosing against the opposite door frame. Usually, however, once the dooris pulled from its recess a short distance, one employs both hands,especially if the door is at all heavy, balky or warped; and, usuallyone releases the finger-grasping means quickly and grasps entirelyaround the door facing, either assisting by means of the side fingerpockets, or not using either of the means actually provided for openingand closing. It usually is less troublesome to open such doors, i.e.,move the door from against the frame fully into its pocket, but only ifthe door slides nicely, and is properly mounted so that it does not tendto bind against the pocket framing at some point. Here again, however,under normal circumstances, one tends to employ both hands and, if onehand is occupied, an awkward situation results.

Aside from the above, three separate slots must be provided in the doorby a carpenter for receiving the pieces of hardware, and, of course, thethree pieces must be mounted.

The present invention seeks to overcome the above disadvantages.

The principal objects of this invention may be stated as fol lows:

To provide a door handle for pocket sliding doors which providesconvenient grasping means for control of the opening and closing of thedoor, including convenient guiding of the door into the frame at itsclosed position;

To provide a door handle which permits sliding pocket doors to bemanipulated with ease, using only one hand, and either hand, to fullyclosed or open position without the need for release and handrepositioning;

To provide a door handle which affords protection to the operator'shands during the operating of the door, particularly as when compared toexisting hardware;

To provide a door handle which may be installed without framemodification on typical existing pocket door assemblies;

To provide a door handle of one piece construction and of pleasingesthetic appearance, and for which an infinite variety of decorativedesigns may be used while adhering to the established structuralrequirements;

To provide a door handle which may be used on one side of the door only,such as with closet doors;

To provide a door handle of the type described which may be produced andinstalled with minimum cost.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a door handle inaccord with the above objects in combination with a second part servingto permit replacement of the hardware already installed on doors by thehandle of the present invention.

The invention is illustrated by drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. I illustrates a door handle of this invention, formed as a casting,in position on a door facing, the door being in nearly fully openedposition. The door framing is fragmentary;

FIG. 2 illustrates in horizontal section a door handle of the invention,formed by a stamping operation, positioned on a door in a relativelydeep notch therein, and having a facing piece in the form of a notchinsert, the arrangement eliminating the need for notching of theopposite door trim in order to permit full closing;

FIG. 3 illustrates a handle, generally similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2in horizontal section, the handle being of modified configurationpermitting closing without notching of the opposite trim;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a cover element which may be employed with thehandle of this invention whereby ready replacement of existing hardwareis permitted, while also hiding previous notching for the firstinstalled parts.

Referring to FIG. I, numeral I0 denotes a handle according to thisinvention having two hand-grasping portions 12, extending from a centraldoor mounting area 14. The handle is mounted in the door facing 16 bymeans of screws l8. Numeral 20 denotes door trim extendinglongitudinally of the door framing 22, the trim being notched, or brokenin its running length, as at numeral 24.

Referring to FIG. 2, the handle 10 is seen in horizontal section. It isthere observed that the handle is shaped such that it has a central flatportion, denoted by numeral 26, as between the points A and B, and twosimilarly curved portions denoted by numeral 28. The central flatportion 26 preferably should be of such length that they position thepoint of beginning curvature of the curved portions 28 beyond the outersides of the door trim, thereby permitting complete recessing of thedoor in its pocket 30. Thus, immediately beyond the points denoted by Aand B the curvature is relatively sharp in order that the handle willhug rather closely to the door framing for a short distance, as betweenpoints A and C and points B and D. Beyond points C and D, as will beseen, the two grasping portions curve less and tend more to straighten,as at points E and F, in order that the main handle portions flare awayfrom the framing and provide a substantial distance between the framingand points G and H of the handle. This configuration is preferred forthe reason that it better permits the door to be manipulated with eitherhand, while also, quite importantly, greatly minimizing the chance thata finger may be bruised by mashing against the door framing at eitherend of the door travel.

Further in reference to the drawings, particularly FIG, 1, it will benoted that the main grasping portion of the handle, denoted generally bynumeral 32 expands, or flares, to a substantially greater vertical(lateral) dimension at its termination. In actual contemplated size,this dimension is preferably about 3% inches, i.e., about four fingers.As a result of the upward and downward flaring of the grasping portionto provide such dimension, the hand is strongly directed or encouragedto grasp the handle by positioning the fingers along or around thevertical length, rather than around the top edge surface, as at 34.However, even though the handle be grasped around the top edge, thecurvature tends to direct the hand and fingers downwardly along thelonger edge portion 32 rather than more inwardly in the direction of thedoorv In this way, the fin gers of one hand may easily move the door ineither direction to either extreme and with the probability offingenbruising being greatly minimized. As will be understood theconfigura tion and dimensions of the handles of the invention seek toprovide ease of manipulation in either door-moving direction, whileguarding against possible injury, even though such possibility is smalland the injury minimal, and while also maintaining the handle inunobtrusive position relative to the room area near the door frame. Asto the latter, curvature is important, as it is to the former.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the grasping area 32bulges as at 36 to provide a flat surface 38 extending the full verticallength on the outer side of the handle. This surface provides a properfinger ledge for moving the door from closed to open position. It willbe seen that danger to finger-bruising is absent as the door moves tofull open position because they are not between the inner side of thehandle and the door framing. When moving the door to closed position,the grasping of the handle is directly opposite, i.e., around thesurface 32.

FIG. 3 shows a modified grasping surface wherein a vertical trough 40 isprovided for finger reception which affords similar advantages. Thismodification permits the handle to lie somewhat closer to the door framewhen the door is fully opened, i.e., in its pocket. Also, it will beobserved that in this form of the invention the central flat area isstamped to provide a shallow channel, as at 42, such that the handlefits around the facing in order that the door may be fully closedwithout trim notching in the opposite framing 43.

Referring to FIG. 4, numeral 44 denotes a cover plate for use with thehereindescribed handle whereby existing hardware may be replaced andprior finger pockets cut in the wood hidden from view. The cover platecomprises three flat sides, 46, 48 and 50 As will be understood, thisplate is fitted over the facing in a notch provided to receive it andthe handle, and it is adapted to be fixed to the door either by separatescrews or by means of the same screws which hold the handle to thefacing.

As will be understood from considering the foregoing description,numerous modifications are possible within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

l. A readily grippable door handle for a sliding pocket-type door inwhich the door slides through the door framing and into a pocket in openposition and into a recess in the opposite side of the door framing inclosed position, said door handle comprising a generally flat, centralportion overlying and adapted for mounting to the door facing, thecentral portion having side edges and a width approximately equal to thewidth of the recess in the door framing; a pair of leg portionsextending rearwardly from the side edges of said central portion a shortdistance substantially equal to the depth of the recess in the doorframing, said central and leg portions providing a shallow channel thatfits around the door facing; and a pair of arm portions extendingoutwardly from the rear ends of said leg portions, and in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of the slidingdoor, to a point in the zone of the outer door framing and thereaftercurving rearwardly and outwardly a distance sufficient to pro vide ahand-grasping portion between the ends of the arm portions and the doorframing when the door is in open position.

2. The door handle of claim 4, in which the vertically ex tending troughopens forward relative to the rearwardly ex tending arm portions.

3. A handle as in claim I, wherein said arm surface flares upwardly anddownwardly in a gentle curve to provide a broad hand grasping portion,and which hand grasping portion is provided on its outer side with avertically extending surface, which is generally flat, lying in a planegenerally perpendicular to the door framing.

4. A handle as in claim 1 wherein said hand-grasping position terminatesin a vertically extending trough adapted for finger reception.

5. A handle as claimed in claim I having matched thereto a door coverplate designed for covering door carpentry work whereby said handle maybe readily employed as a replacement handle.

1. A readily grippable door handle for a sliding pocket-type door inwhich the door slides through the door framing and into a pocket in openposition and into a recess in the opposite side of the door framing inclosed position, said door handle comprising a generally flat, centralportion overlying and adapted for mounting to the door facing, thecentral portion having side edges and a width approximately equal to thewidth of the recess in the door framing; a pair of leg portionsextending rearwardly from the side edges of said central portion a shortdistance substantially equal to the depth of the recess in the doorframing, said central and leg portions providing a shallow channel thatfits around the door facing; and a pair of arm portions extendingoutwardly from the rear ends of said leg portions, and in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the plane of movement of the slidingdoor, to a point in the zone of the outer door framing and thereaftercurving rearwardly and outwardly a distance sufficient to provide ahand-grasping portion between the ends of the arm portions and the doorframing when the door is in open position.
 2. The door handle of claim4, in which the vertically extending trough opens forward relative tothe rearwardly extending arm portions.
 3. A handle as in claim 1,wherein said arm surface flares upwardly and downwardly in a gentlecurve to provide a broad hand grasping portion, and which hand graspingportion is provided on its outer side with a vertically extendingsurface, which is generally flat, lying in a plane generallyperpendicular to the door framing.
 4. A handle as in claim 1 whereinsaid hand-grasping position terminates in a vertically extending troughadapted for finger reception.
 5. A handle as claimed in claim 1 havingmatched thereto a door cover plate designed for covering door carpentrywork whereby said handle may be readily employed as a replacementhandle.